Needle, &amp;c.



PATENTED APR. 17, 1906.

T. A. EDWARDS.

NEEDLE, &0.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1. 190a. RENEWED SEPT. 11, 1905.

wzizeavva UNITED STATES PATENT orrro.

THOMAS A. EDWARDS,

or BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

NEEDLE, 800.

Application filed June Specification of Letters Patent.

1, 1903. Renewed September 11,

Patented April 17, 1906.

1905. SerialNo. 278,040.

To all. whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS A. EDWARDS, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Needles, &c., of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to elongated penetrating instruments, such as needles for surical and other purposes, although it is not limited to a sharp-pointed instrument, as the invention may be embodied, as hereinafter described, in a probe for surgical purposes.

The invention has for its ob ect, first, to

provide an instrument of this character wlt an eye adapted to engage a bight or loop in such manner that the thread can be very quickly and conveniently engaged with the needle, and, secondly, to provide an instrument, such as a surgical needle or a probe, with a casing or director adapted to fit closely upon a portion of the instrument and to be left by it in an orifice in whic been inserted with the instrument, the director serving as a guide for the reinsertion of the instrument.

The invention consists in the improvements which I will now proceed to describe and claim.

Of the accompanying part of this specification, Figure 1 re resents a side view of a surgical needle em odying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a longitudinal section of the same on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents an enlarged view of the pointed end portion of a needle of a different character, said needle having an eye constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 4 represents a section on line 4 4 of Fig. 3, the fingered cross-bar in the eye being omitted. Fig. 5 represents a side view of the fingered cross-bar shown in Fig. 3. Figs. 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 represent views of different forms of surgical instruments each provided with an eye in accordance with my invention. Fig. 11 represents a side view, and Fig. 12 an edge view, of a combined needle and probe provided with a grooved director in accordance with my invention. Fig. 13 represents a perspective view of the director shown in Figs. 11 and 12. Figs. 14 and 15 represent views illustrating the use of my improve needle in the treatment of varicocele. Fig. 16'represents a view illustrating the use of the needle in the treatment of hydrocele.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the figures.

drawings, forming a needle provi In carrying out my invention so far as the same relates to the eye of a surgical or other needle I provide the shank or body portion a, with an eye I), which is substantially loopshapedthat is to say, has a reentrant curve or angle, while the oposite side has a salient curve or angle, the latter pointing toward the penetrating en of the instrument. This construction enables the needle to be threaded by passing a bight or loop a of thread under the portion or member of the needle which forms the salient side of the eye, as indicated in Fig. 3. By providing a sufficient length of thread between the loop a and the free end the thread can in this way be securely, as well as quickly and conveniently, engaged with the needle without liability of slipping or reeving through the eye.

I prefer to duplicate the eye I), two eyes of similar shape being provided, arranged base to base, as shown in the drawings, and par ticularly in Figs. 1 and 3, the salient side of one eye projecting toward one point and the salient side of the other eye projecting toward the opposite point.

The preferred construction, whereby the.

eyes I) b are provided, is as follows: An elonated orifice 5 is formed in the body of the needle, said orifice extending lengthwise of the needle, its length considerably exceeding its width. With the sides of the orifice 1 engage the ends of a cross-bar 6, said sides being preferably provided with sockets 7,Fig. 4, to receive the ends of the cross-bar 6, the arrangement being such that when the crossbar is inserted in the sockets it forms a transverse division, subdividing the orifice 5 into two parts. The cross-bar 6 is provided with two oppositely-projecting fingers 8 8, which extend into the subdivisions of the orifice in the needle and form the salient or inner sides of the loop-shaped eyes I) b. The ends of the fingers 8 are preferably provided with rounded enlargements, as shown in the drawings, to assist in retaining the loop of thread.

Figs. 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 represent various forms of curved needles, each having an eye or a pair of eyes constructed as above described and each capable of use in amanner which will be readily understood by surgeons. In each case I have shown the body of the ded with one or more orifices or eyes (1', which may be of ordinary are intended to receive the loose or free en of the thread engaged with one of the eyes 1).

form and one side of the eye I When a number of these eyes (Z are provided, the free end can be threaded through one or more of said eyes.

In Figs. 11, 12, and 13 I show an attachment 6 for a surgical needle or probe, which attachment I term a grooved director. This attachment is formed to closely fit a portion of the instrument a, and its external form is such that it approximates closely the form and dimensions of the part of the instrument to which it is applied, so that it is adapted to be inserted with the instrument in an In the treatment of hydrocele, abscesses,

and other conditions requiring an emptying d, pus, &c., contained in such sacs, any other such affection empty the sac of its contents this instrument will be found superior trocar and canula heretofore used, for the reason that the grooved director is the tubular canula, the director acting as a spout. After the sac is thus perfectly emptied of its contents the sac and treated. by means of antiseptics, astringents, styptics, caustics, or by means of any other medication desired the same as the tubular canula, with the added advantage that the irrigating liquid, fluid, or solution and the medicinal remedies used can be more easily and perfectly drained out again h the grooved director, if so desired, than through a tubular canula. Besides, if it is found best to make a more extensive opening or free incision it is easily done by means of a probe-pointed bistoury passed along the groove of the director which is already in place, or if it is found best not to empty the sac of all of its original contents or any part of that which may have been introduced into it and which latter may have been introduced by means of irrigator, syringe, probe, or any other artificial means a removal of the director at the desired time will cause the needle-puncture to collapse, closing the through opening, and retain the amount desired in; the sac, and the openings may be hermetically sealed by the application of flexible collodion over the external openings made by this instrument in any operation, if so desired.

Varicosed veins and aneurisms in any part of the body are successfully ligated with this instrument by means or in a manner similar to those outlined herein for varicocele.

The director may be detached and left in treatment of cavities, sacs, &c., guide for the return of either the pointed or probe end of said instrument.

In the treatment of varicocele the instrument is first threaded with the desired ligature which may be any or either of those used in surgery, depending in a measure upon just how the ligatures are finally to be disposed of.

I prefer to use a catgut ligature and to do the work as follows: I first thrust the instrument through the skin and behind the spermatic vein, pushing the instrument half-way pushed farther through, as shown in Fig. 15, until the the instrument can be raised over and in front of said vein. The probe-point is then dropped into the director and the instrument he commencement of the operation 0 the director with said probepoint. he vein is looped with a double ligature and tied, allowing the ligatures and vein to remain in the scrotum.

My invention so far as it relates to the loopshaped eye may be embodied in a needle for domestic work, such as knitting or crocheting, or for any other purpose.

In a needle for domestic work I prefer to engage the ends of the cross-bar or bridge 6 with the sockets in the sides of the orifice b in such manner that the cross-bar can be turned or rotated, thus causing the fingers 8 to project from the sides of the needle for convenience in engaging the thread therewith. The ends of the cross-bar 6 and the walls of the sockets 7 ngers 1n line with the It is obvious that the cross-bar 6 may be rigid and formed as an integral part of the instrument or otherwise rigidly attached thereto. For surgical work I prefer to make said cross-bar rigid.

Having thus explained the nature of my invention and described a way of constructing and using the same, although without having attempted to set forth all the forms in which it may be embodied or all the modes of its use, I declare that what I claim is 1. A needle having a loop-shaped eye, one side of which is rentrant, while the other side is salient, the latter pointing toward the penetrating end of the instrument.

2. A needle having two substantially loopshaped eyes, arranged base to base, one side of each eye being reentrant, while the other side is salient.

3. A needle having a longitudinally-ex tending aperture, and a bridge extending across said aperture and provided with oppositely-extending fingers, said bridge and fingers forming the-inner walls of loop-shaped eyes, the outer walls of which are parts of the wall of the orifice.

4. A surgical instrument such as a needle, having a casing or director formed to closely fit a portion of the instrument and detachable therefrom, so that the said director may be left in an orifice or puncture to guide the instrument back through the same opening.

5. A pointed penetrating surgical instrument having means for carrying a ligature, and provided with a detachable grooved director.

6. A needle having a longitudinally-extending aperture and a cross-bar or bridge extending across said aperture and provided with a finger extending lengthwise of the needle, the ends of the bridge being rotatably engaged with the sides of the aperture, so that the finger may be projected from the needle.

7. A needle having a longitudinally-extending aperture, and a bridge extending across said aperture and provided with oppositely-extending fingers, said bridge and fingers forming the inner eyes, the outer walls of wall of the orifice, the ends of said bridge being rotatably engaged with the sides of the aperture, so that the fingers may be proj ected from the needle.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS A. EDWARDS.

Witnesses:

O. F. BROWN, E. BATOHELDER.

which are parts of the walls of loop-shaped 

